For The Better
by Archergirl78
Summary: People come into our lives for many reasons. Sometimes they change us for the better. Who did Trixie just meet and how will they change her?
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

"I'll be back before lunch, Moms!" fifteen-year-old Trixie Belden called out over her shoulder as she bounded down the back steps of her house, the screen door slamming behind her.

"All right, dear," her mother replied from the kitchen. "Have a nice ride. Tell Regan hello."

"I will," Trixie yelled as she raced towards the trail leading from her home, Crabapple Farm, to that of her best friend and neighbor, Honey Wheeler.

It was the beginning of summer, and the flowers and trees were still in full bloom, the grass still green. Trixie's home, Crabapple Farm, was a comfortable white farmhouse nestled in a hollow along Glen Road, in Sleepyside, New York. She lived there with her parents, Peter and Helen Belden, oldest brother Brian, middle brother and "almost twin" Mart, and younger brother Bobby. Being the only girl among three boys meant the first twelve summers of her life were painfully long. However, the summer of her thirteenth year, something wonderful happened. That was the summer she met her best friend, Honey Wheeler.

Crabapple Farm was one of several small estates that faced Glen Road. To one side lay Ten Acres, the crumbling remains of a once-glorious Victorian mansion belonging to the Frayne family. To the other lay a lovely house, aptly called Manor House, with stables, a tennis court, a lake complete with boathouse, and a gatehouse. It was to Manor House, more specifically Manor House Stables, that Trixie was headed.

As Trixie jogged along the well-worn path between Crabapple Farm and Manor House, she reflected on the past two years and the happy changes they had brought. When Honey Wheeler first moved to the Manor House, she was a pale, sickly girl. The only child of billionaire Matthew Wheeler and his heiress wife, Madeleine Hart Wheeler, Honey was brought up by a series of governesses and boarding schools. It wasn't until she was twelve-years old that her parents finally realized the toll the situation was taking on their daughter, and decided to move to Sleepyside. Immediately they noticed a change in Honey, as she became active, healthy, and happy. With the help of Ms. Marjorie Trask, Honey's former governess and now estate manager, Honey was the picture of happiness.

Most people would not argue that the biggest factor in Honey's happiness was finally having friends. After years of loneliness, she not only gained a best friend but an entire circle of great friends. Most importantly, she was no longer an only child.

Shortly after her arrival in Sleepyside, Honey and Trixie discovered now-seventeen-year-old Jim Frayne hiding in the ruins of the mansion at Ten Acres. Orphaned after the deaths of first his father, then his mother, he fled from his abusive stepfather in search of his uncle and namesake, James Winthrop Frayne. Unfortunately, he was a day too late, as his uncle had taken ill and was rushed to the Sleepyside Hospital by Trixie's father Peter. Soon after, his uncle passed away, and Jim's stepfather came looking for him. Jim fled, leading Trixie and Honey on a search through several summer camps upstate, accompanied by Ms. Trask. They finally located Jim and Honey convinced her parents to adopt him. Jim had settled into Manor House and life with his new family very well. While he still attended sessions with a counselor, his sessions were now only monthly, rather than weekly.

Trixie, Honey, and Jim had formed a club, along with her older brothers Brian and Mart. They called their club the Bob-Whites of the Glen and devoted themselves to charity works. Shortly after forming the club, Trixie's childhood friend, Diana Lynch, moved out to Glen Road and joined the club. Diana's life was in an upheaval at the time, as her father had recently come into a large amount of money, thrusting the Lynch family into instant wealth. It was a hard adjustment for Diana, who went from living in a small apartment with her parents and four younger siblings to living in a palatial estate, complete with servants. Reforming her friendships with the Belden siblings and making new friends with the other club members helped Diana become more confident and happy.

The seventh and last member of the Bob-Whites of the Glen – or BWGs – was Daniel Mangan. The nephew of the Wheeler's groom, Regan, Dan moved to Sleepyside about seven months after the Wheelers. Like Jim, Dan was orphaned at fifteen. While his uncle was his legal guardian, Dan actually lived with Mr. Maypenny, the Wheeler's gamekeeper, in a snug cabin located in the middle of the game preserve. While his relationship with his previously unknown uncle was slowly improving, Dan and Mr. Maypenny had developed a close bond, and Dan was more like a grandson to Mr. Maypenny than a ward. After school, Dan even worked as an assistant gamekeeper, partly to earn money for college, and partly as a term of his probation conditions. After the death of his mother, Dan got into some trouble with gang activity in New York. He was given a second chance when his uncle was found by the courts and he moved to Sleepyside. Formerly a sullen-looking boy, the hours spent working outdoors, horseback riding, and chopping a seemingly never-ending supply of firewood had turned Dan into a healthy, muscular, tanned young man. He found peace in his work and, though still the quietest of the group, he was happy.

Trixie reached the end of the trail where it merged with the Wheeler's driveway. As she crossed to the stables, she looked up towards the house. Honey and Jim were gone for the weekend, in New York City with their parents for a charity function. Trixie had volunteered to help exercise the horses over the weekend, and planned to take a couple rides through the preserve each day.

"Good morning, Regan," she chirped happily as she entered the cool darkness of the stables, looking around for the red-haired groom.

"Good morning to you," she heard his response coming from the rear of the stables, where the largest stall stood. She hurried quickly back to join him, peering over the side of the stall with wonder.

"Oh, look at her!" Trixie exclaimed softly. "She's getting so big!"

"That she is," Regan agreed mildly, continuing his gentle currying of Lady, the Wheeler's pregnant mare. "She'll be ready to deliver any day now. You just missed the vet, actually. He said she's doing just fine and should deliver a healthy baby."

"I can't wait!" Trixie tried to keep her voice low to not disturb the mare, but her excitement was evident. "Will you call us as soon as she delivers, even if it's in the middle of the night?"

"No, Miss Fidget, I will not call your house in the middle of the night," Regan smirked. "I don't think your parents would appreciate that very much."

"Fine," Trixie rolled her eyes. "I'll just keep my fingers crossed that she delivers during the day."

Regan laughed.

"I'm going to ride now," Trixie informed him. "Who still needs to go out?"

"I took Thunderer out this morning already," Regan answered. "That leaves Strawberry and Susie."

"And Jupiter," Trixie added impishly.

"I don't think so," Regan said immediately. He finished grooming Lady, gave her a gentle pat, and stepped out of the stall. As he put the grooming supplies away, he looked over his shoulder at Trixie. "You may have developed into an excellent rider, but you still aren't any match for Jupiter. Even Honey doesn't ride Jupe."

"I know that," Trixie assured him. "Honestly, Regan, after my first disastrous attempt to ride Jupiter, I have no intention of trying again. I'll leave ol' Jupe to you, Mr. Wheeler, and Jim."

"Wise choice," Regan chuckled as he walked back towards his office. "I have some paperwork to finish up and I don't want to go too far from Lady. Do you think you can exercise whichever horse still needs it this afternoon? If not, I'll ask Dan to swing by."

"No problem," she replied. "I had already planned on it. I'll take Strawberry this morning and Susie later today."

"Thanks," he said. "I appreciate the help. I'm just a little nervous with this being Lady's first delivery."

"I understand," Trixie smiled as she opened Strawberry's stall to begin saddling him. "And I'm happy to help."

She quickly saddled the horse and led him out of the stable, calling a goodbye to Regan as she left. Once outside, she mounted with ease and directed the roan to the entrance to the preserve trails.

It was still early enough in the day that the temperature was mild, and she relaxed as the handsome horse walked along the trail. A gentle breeze blew, lifting the blonde curls that escaped from her ponytail and cooling both horse and girl. As she rode, Trixie continued reflecting, not just upon the past but the future as well. She, Honey, and Diana had just completed the ninth grade and were preparing to begin the tenth grade. Mart and Dan were beginning the eleventh grade, and Brian and Jim were beginning their first year of college. Luckily, Jim and Brian wouldn't be far away. Both had decided to attend the nearby university, and would be home at least one weekend each month, but it would still be an adjustment for everyone. Trixie knew she would miss seeing her oldest brother every day and Jim… well, Trixie wasn't entirely certain what her relationship was with Jim, but she knew she liked him as more than just a friend. She thought he liked her, too. He had given her an ID bracelet on the plane ride back from Iowa and called her his 'special girl'. He had taken her to all the school dances, including his senior prom just two months back, but never any other kind of date. He had held her hand, but never tried to kiss her. All in all, it was confusing.

She rode along, lost in her thoughts, until she reached the bluffs along the Hudson River. There, she dismounted and tied Strawberry to a tree. After giving him water, she sat on a rock overlooking the river while he contentedly munched on grass. As she stared unseeingly at the water, she wondered what kind of changes the next year would bring. Would Jim meet someone at college that he wanted to date? Would he come home most weekends or decide to stay at school? What if he brought a girl home with him? For that matter, what if Brian brought a girl home? He and Honey had a relationship similar to Trixie and Jim's. How would they handle the distance? What if both boys met someone new?

Trixie stewed, imagining all the glamorous blondes waiting at the university. Visions of Dot Murray and Laura Ramsey ran through her head. She knew she wasn't being fair – she and Jim weren't even in a relationship – but still she stewed.

"Whose fault is it anyway that we're not in a relationship?" she muttered to the sympathetic ears of the nearby horse. "If he'd just speak up.."

Of course, Trixie realized she was just as capable of telling Jim how she felt, but that wasn't the point.

Just then, she heard the snap of branches nearby.

"Who's there?" she stood, dusting the seat of her jeans off. "Hello?"

She heard more branches snapping, and then a hiss of pain followed by a loud, "Ouch!" from a female voice.

"Who's there?" she asked again, looking towards the sound.

"Is someone there?" she heard the female voice say. "Help me, please!"

Trixie began walking towards the other side of the clearing, following the voice.

"I'm here," she said. "Keep talking so I can follow your voice."

"Please, help me," the voice said. "I think I sprained my ankle. I can't put any pressure on it."

"I'm coming," Trixie assured her. "Keep talking."

She untied Strawberry and led him to the trail opening across the clearing.

"It's swollen and looks bruised already," the voice said. "I can't walk."

"I'll help you," Trixie said. "I have a horse. We can get you up on him and I can take you for help."

"Thank goodness," the voice said. "I don't even know where I am. I just moved here and wanted to take a walk. I got all turned around and then I fell. It hurts!"

"I hear you," Trixie said, leading the horse along the trail. She came around a bend in the trail and stopped short, seeing the owner of the voice sitting on a rock.

"You!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Dot Murray looked up from her seat.

"Hello, Trixie," she said.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

"Dot Murray!" Trixie exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Iowa!"

"Well, right now I'm sitting on a rock with a swollen ankle," the pretty blonde replied, looking down at her own foot. "But, in more general terms, we just moved here a few days ago. My dad got a job transfer and we bought a house on Old Telegraph Road."

Trixie stared at her.

"Look," Dot grimaced in pain as she tried to move her ankle, "I realize you don't like me very much, but would you please help me? This hurts really bad."

"Oh, of course," Trixie moved towards her. "I'm sorry; I'm just surprised to see you. Here, if I bring Strawberry closer, you can try to mount with your good ankle."

With Trixie's assistance and more than a little pain, Dot was finally situated in Strawberry's saddle. Trixie carefully adjusted the stirrup to support her injured ankle, and began leading Strawberry towards home.

"Thank you," Dot sighed with relief as they began moving. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along."

"You're welcome," Trixie said automatically.

They walked along in silence for a few minutes before Dot spoke.

"Look, I just have to ask you," she said. "Why don't you like me? I mean, we barely spoke when you were at your uncle's house, but even then I could tell you didn't like me. Did I do something to you?"

"Yes, you…" Trixie flushed and stopped speaking.

"What?" Dot asked.

"You danced with Jim," Trixie mumbled.

"Yeah…" Dot raised her eyebrows. "And you danced with Ned Schultz."

"Well, yes, but…" Trixie stammered.

"Is Jim your boyfriend?" Dot asked. "I don't make a habit of going after other girls' boyfriends. If he is and I stepped on your toes, I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional."

"No, he's not," Trixie tried to explain. "We just.."

Dot waited patiently.

"We have an understanding, I guess," Trixie finished lamely.

"I didn't know that," Dot said quietly. "Truly, Trixie, I wouldn't have asked him to dance with me if I knew or even thought he was taken. But I have to ask you this – if you have an understanding, why did he dance with me?"

"We didn't have an understanding then," Trixie admitted. "It was after that, on the plane ride home, that he told me I was his special girl."

"Then it sounds like maybe things worked out, after all," Dot smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so," Trixie replied. "I mean, we're still not technically together, but…"

"So, do you think we could be friends, then?" Dot asked. "I mean, you saved my life and all, so I'd like to at least call you a friend."

"I didn't save your life," Trixie laughed. "No one dies from a sprained ankle."

"No, but I would have stayed out in the woods all night and died from exposure," Dot insisted.

"In June?" Trixie laughed again.

"Snakebite?" Dot offered. "Bear attack? Giant killer mosquitoes? Missing Jersey Shore on television tonight?"

"Okay, I thought maybe we could be friends, but now that I know you watch Jersey Shore, I've changed my mind," Trixie shook her head.

"I don't really!" Dot protested. "I was kidding. But I think you actually can die from exposure even in June."

"And we do have some pretty big mosquitoes," Trixie agreed. "Lucky for you, we're almost back to Manor House."

"What's Manor House?" Dot asked. "Your house?"

"No, Honey and Jim's house," Trixie answered, leading Strawberry through the last of the woods and into the clearing of the Wheeler's home and driveway. "I live over that way, in Crabapple Farm. Strawberry belongs to the Wheelers, though, and their groom, Regan, can help get you home."

"My mom is home," Dot looked around as they walked towards the stables. "If he has a phone, we can call her to come get me."

"Okay," Trixie agreed. "That might be better, since one of the horses is about to deliver and Regan doesn't really want to leave her side."

"Really?" Dot smiled. "I love horses. I used to visit my grandpa's ranch in Montana every summer and he bred horses. I actually got to watch the babies being born a couple times."

"Cool!" Trixie exclaimed.

"It was," Dot nodded.

"Regan!" Trixie called as they reached the stable. "Hey, Regan, can you help me, please?"

"What's up?" the young groom emerged from the stables.

'This is Dot," Trixie pointed to the girl on the horse.

"Dot from Iowa?" Regan asked.

"I see you've heard of me," Dot replied drily, as Trixie flushed again.

"Sorry," she said lamely, looking at her toes. "Her family just moved here and she was out walking in the preserve. It looks like she sprained her ankle."

Regan moved forward and gently took hold of Dot's ankle. He tried moving it gently, but stopped with her hiss of pain.

"Sure does," he agreed. "Let's get you off the horse and get your ankle elevated while we call your parents. Are they at home?"

"My mom is," Dot answered, grimacing as Regan carefully helped her from the horse.

"Okay," Regan carried her into the stables, setting her down in a chair in his office. Pulling an ice pack from the freezer, he propped her ankle on another chair and placed the ice pack against it.

Trixie followed, leading Strawberry into the stable. As she began removing his saddle and harness, she watched as Regan handed Dot the phone from his desk.

"Mom?" Dot said as soon as the call connected. "I need you to come get me."

By the time Dot's mother arrived, Trixie had finished with Strawberry and put him back in his stall. She hung back as Dot explained to her mother how she injured herself.

"Luckily, Trixie was near," Dot finished, pointing at her. "She helped me get on her horse and brought me here."

"Thank you so much for helping my daughter," Mrs. Murray smiled at Trixie. "I can see why Andy Belden is so proud of his niece."

"You're welcome," Trixie said shyly. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"We need to get you over to the hospital," Mrs. Murray turned back to her daughter. "It looks like a sprain, but we'd better have it checked just to be certain it's not a break."

"I'll help you get her in the car," Regan offered.

"Thank you," Mrs. Murray said again. Together, she and Regan carefully helped Dot out to her mother's car, a late-model sedan.

"Thanks, again, Trixie," Dot said as her mother got into the driver's seat.

"You're welcome," Trixie waved. "Call me when you get home and let me know what the doctor says about your ankle."

"I will," Dot looked surprised. "I think my mom has your number."

"Helen Belden?" Mrs. Murray asked. Trixie nodded. "I do have it. Dottie will call you as soon as we get back home. Thank you!"

Trixie and Regan watched as Mrs. Murray carefully drove down the driveway, towards Sleepyside.

"Well," Trixie said as the car drove out of sight.

"Well," Regan repeated, looking down at her.

"That was interesting," she said.

"It was," he agreed, grinning slightly.

"She's not as bad as I thought she was," Trixie admitted.

"No, she's not," Regan agreed. "But jealousy can make a not-so-bad person seem a lot worse than they really are."

Trixie nodded.

"You okay?" Regan asked.

Trixie nodded again.

"Do you want to check on Lady with me?" he asked.

Trixie nodded a third time.

As they walked towards the stables, Trixie thought about the say. Was Regan right? Was it jealousy that made Dot seem so bad in Iowa? Was Trixie acting unfairly in thinking Dot wasn't actually a nice girl? Suddenly, she remembered a conversation that she had with Jim while still in Iowa.

"I was acting like a cat when all along I thought Dot was super," she recalled saying to him.

Just then, she and Regan both clearly heard the sounds of a horse in distress. They rushed into the stables and towards Lady.

"Call the vet!" Regan instructed as they reached the horse and saw her labored breathing. "The number is on the cork board behind my desk. She's in labor!"

Trixie rushed off to make the call, realizing she wouldn't be home for lunch after all.

Much later, a tired Trixie trudged home. Entering her house through the back door, she found her mother in the kitchen, Bobby at the table having a snack.

"Well?" her mother asked.

"A little boy!" Trixie smiled. "She had a little boy and he's the cutest thing!"

"Wash your hands" Moms told her, beginning to make a sandwich.

As Trixie washed her hands and sat down at the kitchen table, she kept talking.

"He's brown, the prettiest chestnut brown you've ever seen, with a black mane and tail. He has spindly little legs and the biggest eyes!" she gushed.

"I want to see him!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Later," their mother said as she placed a plate in front of Trixie. "I'm sure mama and baby are both resting now."

"Regan said you can come see him tomorrow," Trixie told her little brother. "I'll take you up there in the morning."

"Okay," Bobby agreed, taking his plate to the sink and washing his hands. "I'm going to take Reddy out to the orchard, okay?"

Reddy, the Belden's aging Irish Setter, raised his ears at the sound of his name. He pulled himself out of his bed in the corner of the room and walked to his young master's side.

"Okay," Moms agreed. "Don't go too far."

"I won't," Bobby promised as boy and dog went out the back door.

"Well, it sounds like you had quite a day," Mom's said, joining Trixie at the table.

"I did!" Trixie nodded as she ate.

"I received an interesting phone call about twenty minutes ago," her mother said.

Trixie raised her eyebrows.

"Mrs. Murray called me," her mother explained.

"Oh, Dot!" Trixie put her sandwich down. "How is she? Was her ankle sprained or broken?"

"It was just a sprain," Moms answered. "She'll be on crutches for a few weeks, but the doctor said it should heal nicely."

"Oh, good," Trixie picked her sandwich up again. "I'll have to call her back after I eat."

"Mrs. Murray explained that you did quite a good deed for Dot today," Mrs. Belden continued.

Trixie shrugged.

"I just helped her get back to Manor House," she said. "It wasn't a big deal, but I'm glad she's okay."

"Either way, I'm proud of you," her mother said. "I know that you aren't Dot's biggest fan, but you still did the right thing."

"Dot's not so bad," Trixie admitted. "I think I was a little too hard on her."

Mrs. Belden smiled.

"Maybe," she agreed gently, "But now you have a second chance to get to know her. Maybe you'll find out she's actually a person you'd like to know."

"Maybe," Trixie grinned sheepishly. Finishing the last bite of her sandwich, she took her plate to the sink.

"Can I call her back now?" she asked her mother.

"Certainly," she replied.

"Thanks, Moms!" Trixie called as she headed up the staircase to her bedroom. "You're the best!"

Helen Belden chuckled to herself as she walked into the den, settling with her knitting into her favorite chair – the one that allowed her full view of the orchard her youngest son was currently racing their dog through.

"That's my job," she said.


End file.
